Business
Blue Bird Announces CEO and Chairman Transition Plan
Britton Smith, President of Blue Bird, to Succeed Phil Horlock as CEO Doug Grimm, Director, to Succeed Kevin Penn as Chairman MACON, Ga.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
About this update from Blue Bird Corporation
[{"type":"text","content":"\nBritton Smith, President of Blue Bird, to Succeed Phil Horlock as CEO Doug Grimm, Director, to Succeed Kevin Penn as Chairman\n\n\n MACON, Ga.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--\nBlue Bird Corporation (Nasdaq: BLBD), the leader in electric and low-emission school buses, today announced that Britton Smith will assume the position of President & CEO, effective September 29, 2024, and that the Board of Directors has elected Doug Grimm as Chairman, effective immediately.\n\nThis press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240807038353/en/Blue Bird appointed Britton Smith to President & CEO after he served as the company’s President since June 2023 (Photo: Business Wire)\nMr. Smith will succeed Phil Horlock, who served as the Company’s President & CEO from 2011 to 2021 and was reappointed to the position in May 2023. Mr. Horlock will continue to serve as a member of the Board, to ensure a smooth transition with Mr. Smith, who has also been elected to the Company’s Board of Directors, effective immediately.\n\n\nMr. Smith has held various executive roles since joining Blue Bird in 2022, including leading the Company’s highly-successful EV business and growth strategy. Since being appointed President in mid-2023, he has taken on increasing functional responsibilities across the company.\n\n\n“Britton and I have worked very closely together over the past year and he is well qualified and prepared for the CEO position,” said Horlock. “After being named President a year ago, we developed a rigorous transition plan for Britton to take on increasing responsibility across the entire business and that has been fully executed with great success, as demonstrated by our recent results.\n\n\n“It’s been a privilege to have led this incredible Company for almost 14 years,” continued Horlock. “I want to give thanks to our amazing team at Blue Bird and our dealers for their dedication and drive in making this nearly 100-year-old company the undisputed leader in alternative-powered school buses. I’d also like to recognize our Board of Directors, and especially our Chairman, Kevin Penn, for their unwavering support and friendship during my tenure. I am very excited for our future with Britton taking over as CEO at the start of our next fiscal year, and I look forward to supporting our continued growth under...